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EJT. FORD.

- Potato Digger. No. 81,765. v 4 Patented S.ept.,l, 1868.

ELIAS T. F0111), OF STILLWATER, N'EW'YQRK.

Le ters Patent No. 81,765, dated s tzm n 1, 1868.

' IMPROVEMENT In POTATO-BIGGER.

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TOALL WHOM IT MAYCONCERN:

Be it known that I, ELIAS.T. Fomn of the town of Stillwatcr, in the county of'Sar'atoga, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements, in a Potato-Digger; and I do hereby declare that the fol- :lowingis an exact and full deseriptionthereoi', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referenceimarked thereon.

The nature ofmy invention consists-in thearrangenient of the several parts with the angle of the-dividers E and shafts J J, armed-with; teeth Q Q Q Q,i1'otating within the tubes H H, used for digging potatoes.

- To enable others skilledin the art to make and use my invention, [will proceed to describe its construction a'ndoperation. v 1 Q y L 'I now locate the tube 3' z, ,wi ,thframe Z, roller P, shank v, seen in Figure 6, with the bevel-gears T T upon the-main axle B of the drive-wheel A A, seen in Figure: 1. The tubes G G, with the rear bevebgesr N N, are

' inserted upon the extremitiesofithe'tubes G G, and the tubes with the gearare located upon the shafts FF,

' as: seen in Figure 7,'and a portion of each shaft Fis seen in Figure 2, attached to the'sha'nks K K permanently.

- To then-ear. portioni'of the dividers E E, I erect the tubes H'H, with arch-section T, and further connect {the tubes H H, with arch T, to the axle-shanks K K by the flat draught-bars- V V, which are in two parts ehch,

and are conn'c'teda't the point 12 n in frcntof the brace-bars L e L e, which extend to the rear and embrace the "upper portion of the tubes H H. i

1 Through the tubes H H, I insert theshafts J J, armed with teeth Q'QQ Q,and projecting throu g h'the tubes, so as to receive the two bevel-pinions M M upon theirtop extremities, as seen in fig. 2 and Figure '3. Above the bracesL e L e, aretwo bent sections 15 6, located upon the t'op'extrmities of the tubes H H. One may be seen -in fig. 3, and-fig. 3 farther represents the section T it, with the sleeves I I and'the arms or centres d d; attached to the front extremities of the slee'v'e'sl I'. V

I nowlcoate the sections K Kand attachments, with the dividers E E, upon the main axle B, as seen in; fig land Figure-9, outside of the bevel-gear T T, and the tubes G G being upo n the-hearing shafts F Ft they answer also'for a portion of the frame with the other attachments.

, The section T a: with sleeves I I, is located upon the rearextremities of the shafts F F,an'd is made fast thereto, the armso'r centres cl dresting within the section b b, as seen .in fig. 1 and fig. 3.

The flat bars V V with bracefibars L e L e are adjustable 'by means of 'the connections at-the points at n,

.coinnectingth em with bolts.

The rear extremitiesof the pole-section. B, asseen in fig. 6, extend to the rear underneath the main-axle,

and are connected to the lugs 74', formed with the front portion of the fiat bars V V, and secured by pivot-bolts,

and may be adjustable by altering the location of the lugs r 1* upon the bars V V, thereby producing more or lless draught and pitch upon the dividers E E. Underneath the pole-section B I locate the swivel within the lug 'v, and through theswivel U the vinecutter 0 o is inserted by removing; the-pin u, as seen in-Figure 5, after which the'pin it isreplace'd, that with the fixed collar 9 holds the cutter in position, and extending back underezrththe axle B, so that the curves with the knives S S are upon a'perpendicular line with the main axle, or

nearly so, and the swivel U permits the vine-cutter ate move, and corresponding to the uneven surface of the,

hill of potatoes or ground. There may be devices used for elevating and controlling it in other respects.

Fig. 9 illustrates the main axle B, with the fixed collars G G. They may be secured to the axle bybet-tarews. Figure 4 represents a portion of one-driveqvheel, A, with the form ofthe cam.3 D cast with the hub G. Figure 8 shows the conical section D, with the corresponding cam 2 D belonging to the com 3 D. of hub G. The section E isthe hollow sleeve E, the ,interiorsurfac corresponding to the ext'erior surface of the conical section D turned and fitted to each other. I v j I now locate the drive-wheels A A, as seen'in fig. 1, upon the'nxlc-bea-riugs r r, the inner surface of their hubs being adjacent to the fixed collars G G, also seen in fig; 9. The sections D Dare now inserted upon the axle B, the correspondingcums 3 -D and 2 D come together, forming a. lock, Next'in cider-,the sleeves E E are inserted upon andover theseetions D D. Fourthly, the rings or loose collars Y Y are placed upon the axlehearings r 1-, and all of which are retained upon the main axle B by means of nuts or the pins e e.

v The bevel-gear T T is fixed stationary upon the axle B, and there is no pressure upon the sections K K caused by thefrictiop-pressure of the drive-wheels A A.

The arch T is connected to each tube H II'and rear section'T :v, affording stiflness to the tubes H H. The space W, betweenthe dividers E E, prevents the hill from shoving,

Operation.

As the drive-wheels A Aare caused to. move in the direction indicated by the arrows, at forward, and by the certain angle of the cams 3 D and 2 D, arranged with the sections or parts D, E, and Y, causing a pressure or friction upon the several parts with the main. axle 13, also causing at the same time a slight parting of the cams 3 D and 2 D, so that a friction is efl'ectcd upon and arresting the axle B, compelling it to turn ormove'with one or both drive-wheels AEA; and as the drive-wheels A A are moved or turned backward, the axle B is relieved, for the action of the friction is lost to the axle B by means of the two cams 3 D and 2 D coming together, and theforoe of the 3 D cam destroys the friction. Now, the extremitiesof the axle Bare simply bearings r7, upon which the drive-wheels A A rotate backwards, reverse to the direction indicated by the arrows. Furthermore, as the whole machine continues to move forward, the dividers E E are forced underneath the hills of potatoes by the pitch and draught of the pole-section B r elevating the mass of dirt with the potatoes upon the dividers E E, and leaningshafts J J, armed .with teeth Q Q Q Q, turn towards the centre, also moving and discharging the mass to the rear, the greater part of the dirt falls betwe en the teeth Q Q Q Q, while the potatoes are kept,

up longer by the roots and fibres of the vines, and mostly all fall upon the top surface of the pulverized ground. The shafts J-J'are put i i-motion by the pinions R B, one of whichmay be seen in fig. 7, located upon the tube G, connected to the large bevel-gear'T T, and the two pinions N, N, connected to the smaller pinion's M M,

as seen'in figs; 1, 2, and 3, moving the leaning'shafts JJ armed with, teeth, as before described. The teeth Q Q Q Q, upon the shafts J J, are arranged underneath the dividers E Eihaving the same angle or pitch, thereby the position of each with other parts produces the functions necessary to elevate and separate the potatoes from the greater part of the earth. Again, the long potato-vines lying upon each side are cut with the knives S S upon the. prongs of-the knife-cutter o o, seen in'fig. 5 and fig. 1. Portions of the vines are held by the continued motion and bearing of the drivers A A, while their opposite extremities are held within the hill of potatoes.

The efi'ect'of cutting isproduced before the .hill is disturbed by the dividers E E. in the advance movement of the machine; and by the mode of attachment to the swivel U, and peculiar form of the cutters S S, a downward draught is produced, the cu1-veswith the knives S S running underneath and cutting the vines in the movement of the machine.

The dividers E L, with tubes H H, shafts J, teeth Q, Q Q Q, may be adjusted to vary the pitch and draught, as maybe required, by altering the connection of the draught-bars V V to the draught-sections that are connected to the shanks K K at the points or bolts n n, the sections 6 b of the tubes H H, moving upon the centresd d, as seen in fig. 3, which does not materially alter the running of the pinions M M and N N. The tubes H Hfivith shafts J J lean forward, and being at right angles with the dividers E'E, or nearly so.

What I claim, and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The dividers EE, with the tubes H H, shafts J J, armed with teeth Q Q Q, arch T, draught-bars V V, in connection with lugs rd, braces L e Le, the shafts F F hinged toaxle B, with tubes G G, the adjustment of the dividers E E varying thedine of draught with pole-section Br, the section b b hinged to centres 01 (Z, the position of the separating-teeth Q Q Q Q underneath the dividers E E, and the open space W between, substantially as described.

2. The pole-section B r, hinged to the lugs r aunderneath, and in rear of the axle B, in combination with I the dividers E, the lugs r r to be adjustable, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

3. The vine-cuttcr o 0, with knives S S, planeor sickle-edge, as hinged with swivel U underneath the polesections B r, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

. ELIAS T. FORD. Witnesses:

SAML G. EDDY, J. 13. BUFFINTON. 

